


Ghost Theory

by RedPanda242



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: AU, Abused!Harry, Caring!Dark Side, Dead!Harry, M/M, ghost!harry, manipulative!Dumbledore, personality masks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-07-11
Packaged: 2018-04-08 01:42:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4285827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedPanda242/pseuds/RedPanda242
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The abuse that Harry suffers through is more than verbal. One day the Dark Lord finds a way past the wards on number four Privet Drive, but what he finds there is the last thing he'd suspect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Different Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own anything you recognize. Most of the plot is all mine though. Please don't steal it.

It was a dark June night, and there were numerous dark clothed figures at the end of Privet Drive. This in itself was strange for the simple fact that Privet Drive was the most ordinary and not strange street to the found in the entire UK. 

The group of dark figures moved down the street, only stopping when they were in front of number four. The leader stared at the house for a bit, almost as in confusion. Something was wrong. You see, the Dark Lord Voldemort had come to this neighborhood to kill his enemy, to break the blood wards around his house and finally achieve success after these long years. But something was wrong. Voldemort turned to address one from the crowd. 

"Severus?"

"Yes, my lord?"

"I thought you said that Dumbledore had out blood wards around the house to keep me out."

"He did, my lord" Severus replied with some confusion. 

The Dark Lord hummed in thought. "They're gone." He spoke quietly, so much so that Severus Snape almost didn't hear it. 

"What? Gone? That's not possible! Dumbledore said he put wards around the house, that they were made from Lily's sacrifice for her son that night. How are they gone?" Severus asked incredulously. He was stumped. The only way for the blood wards to dissipate would be for the boy to no longer call number four his home, his aunt to die, or for the boy to die himself. The first option was likely but the other two impossible. He would have heard if the aunt had died and he sure as hell would have heard if the boy died. 

"I haven't the slightest clue how the wards are gone, the fact is that they are. It makes my goal easier, however, tread carefully. I would not be surprised if this was a trap the old coot had set up." Voldemort took the first step across the property line, still in thought. How could the wards be gone?

The group tread carefully across the unkempt grass, as though no one had bothered to cut it. As Voldemort neared the door he became further disturbed. The home looked abandoned, or at least not lived in for at least the past two weeks. 

Voldemort stopped. He turned to another one of the people in the crowd. 

"Rabastan, go to the door next to here and find out where the family has gone and how long they have been gone."

"Of course, my lord." With that, Rabastan did as he was told. 

Voldemort turned to speak to the rest of his small group of deatheaters "We will still venture into the house, there could be ways we could find the boy or trap him. This mission is not done yet." Rabastan returned at the end of the speech. 

"My lord, the family has been gone for a week and a half they left on the seventh to take a trip to Paris." Rabastan paused "My lord, the neighbor did not see them take the boy along."

Voldemort raised a brow. "Interesting. Then we might still find the boy. Wands out and follow." He turned and walked through the doorway. Silently he commanded three deatheaters to search upstairs. They came back down and shook their heads. Nothing. Voldemort continued on down the hallway to a shut white door. The only ones following him were Bellatrix, Lucius, Severus and Pettigrew. 

The Dark Lord opened the door and walked into the dining area with the kitchen and living room on either side. Potter wasn't there either. Where was the boy? There was a door off to the side of the kitchen, beyond the fridge. It was the last place in the house. The Dark Lord reached for the door. 

"Come on! A little closer! That's it open the door. Turn the knob. Come on!" 

The Dark Lord stopped and turned around. There was the elusive pain in his ass. "Potter?"

"Wait, you can see me?" Potter looked confused and then his face changed to ecstatic but then quickly changed back to confused. 

"Yes I can see you. We all can." Voldemort replied. To confused on why seeing Potter was such a feat to do anything to his enemy. 

"Hmm, well the Dursleys can't. Either that or they ignore me." Harry shrugged. "Um, can you continue to open the door now? I really need to see what's down there."

Voldemort stared. "Why can't you do it yourself? And what is down there that you need to see so badly."

"I just can't open it. And I don't know what's down there. The house had been acting weird lately though. The pipes are backed up and sounds are coming out of places and the knob of this door keeps rattling. The house is trying to tell me something but I can't open the damn door!" Potter sighed. "Can you?"

Voldemort was intrigued. He turned to Pettigrew and ordered him to open the door. Why risk himself or his other more important deatheaters if this was a trap. The rat was of no importance. 

The door was opened and Voldemort looked at Harry. Obviously telling him that Harry would be going down first. Harry shrugged and bounded to the door. The small procession went down the stair and stopped. Bellatrix, Malfoy, and Snape almost lost their lunch. The image before them was horrifying. 

On the floor of the basement lay a body. A small sixteen year old body with raven hair and pale skin. The body was cut into pieces; the legs and arms separate from the torso. Freak was carved into the stomach and long jagged lines from a knife decorated the face. 

The Dark Lord and the other three looked from the body on the floor to the body next to them. They were the same person. 

Harry stared at the scene. He sighed and spoke "So that's how I died."

One thing was immediately evident, Harry Potter was dead. Harry Potter was a ghost. 

Harry turned to the Dark Lord "Sorry Voldemort, someone beat you to it."


	2. Truths Dug Up

•••••••••••••••Previously•••••••••••••••  
One thing was immediately evident, Harry Potter was dead. Harry Potter was a ghost. 

Harry turned to the Dark Lord "Sorry Voldemort, someone beat you to it."  
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••  
The group was silent. No one knew what to say. Sure Voldemort and his deatheaters had been trying to kill Potter for most of the boys life but to see it done so gruesomely was an entirely different scenario. 

Voldemort cleared his throat. "Potter.... if I may ask..... why are you so..... stoic about this?"

It took a while for Harry to respond. "I expected it. Well not this specifically but I had guessed at something of this nature." Harry paused and took an unneeded breath. "The reason I couldn't open the door is because my hand kept going through it. No matter how hard I tried or concentrated. At first I tried to pass it off as some sort of charm that someone possibly left on the door. Maybe one of my guard from the Order. But then my relatives didn't seem to act like they could see me. I mean sure they ignore me most of the time anyway. But then Dudley walked straight through me and was unbothered. I kind of gave up trying to reason why these things were happening... I guess I just subconsciously knew what had happened but I didn't want to confirm it."

Voldemort looked at Harry, he had something akin to pity in his eyes. Harry had noticed. 

"I don't want your fucking pity! I don't need it and you sure as hell don't deserve to give it to me of all people Mr-Lets-Kill-A-Kid-Who-Has-No-Idea-What-He-Did-To-Deserve-This. It's not like I'm broken up about it." Harry paused and calmed himself. "I kind of feel freer anyway."

Voldemort and the three deatheaters were silent. After a minute Snape opened his mouth. 

"Do you know who did this Potter? It was obviously not the dark sect and not the light sect either. And I don't see how it was your relatives." Snape sounded bored like he always did but one look in his eyes showed that he was disturbed by the scene in the basement. 

Harry looked at his ex-professor. (as he can no longer attend Hogwarts because if his less-than-living status) It started with an incredulous look that morphed into a snort and then full blown demented laughter. Once harry calmed he looked at Snape with venom in his eyes. "You just can't get over it an you? Whatever stupid stunt my father pulled on you when your were children. You just can't get your stupid mind past the fucking past. I don't know if you realized it yet professor but my name isn't James Potter. My name starts with an H not a J. But you wouldn't know that with your stubbornness to not see past the hair and the glasses and the last name. I don't know who told you that I was the prince of Peru in my household but they were very much mistaken. So were you the minute that you saw my class walk into Hogwarts. Just for the simple fact of looking at me the first time you saw me and continuing to believe I was a spoiled ass." Harry was all but spitting at his professor. "News flash Snape. My relatives hate me. They think I'm a freak, an abomination that needs all of the strangeness beaten out of me. And by God did they try." Harry was done dealing with Snape's closed mind towards him. 

"Why would they go so far as to kill you though?" Lucius Malfoy spoke up for the first time. 

"Because in their eyes I was finally defenseless and too beaten down and depressed already to fight back. I'm fairly sure I died on my birthday, just another one finger salut that the Dursleys earned from me." Harry was explaining all of this in a calm and level voice. "The past two years I had been blackmailing them with the existence of my so called mass murderer of a godfather. Kept on telling them if they hurt me he would come for them. But Dumbledore and his stupid Order had to screw it up. They informed my relatives after Sirius' death. Nothing was holding them back anymore." At this he shot a look at Bellatrix. To her credit she looked apologetic. To have taken away this boys last chance at family. 

She looked towards him but she couldn't bring herself to apologize. She couldn't really remember the event happening just the fact that it did. She spoke for the first time as well. "Do you know which relative specifically murdered you?" She was curious. Maybe she could repay the boy by offing his relatives. 

Harry looked into her eyes and turned back to the scene "Vernon" and with that he walked back upstairs through the still open door and turned the corner, disappearing from their sight.


	3. Leaving Life Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit longer.

•••••••••••••••Previously•••••••••••••••  
"Do you know which relative specifically murdered you?" She was curious. Maybe she could repay the boy by offing his relatives. 

Harry looked into her eyes and turned back to the scene "Vernon" and with that he walked back upstairs through the still open door and turned the corner, disappearing from their sight.   
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••  
Voldemort looked somberly at his three deatheaters. He had trouble wrapping his head around the fact the the boy's relatives had killed Potter before he ever got to him. It never registered in his mind that he would not be the one to kill Harry Potter. However hard it was to wrap his head around he could believe it. After all the old coot had sentenced him to seven more unnecessary years of torture in the orphanage when he could have arranged for different living. It seemed like Dumbledore had done it again to another student in need. He had a knack for that. 

Now Voldemort wasn't just going to forget that he had hated the boy for his entire life but it was a moot point now that he was dead. Why not try to understand this young boy that had potential before he died. No one else had tried when he was alive; and hey, maybe he still had potential even in an insubstantial form. Hell Voldemort knew he had potential, he offered a side switch no less than three times. 

Voldemort turned on the steps and walked back up. His three minions moving aside to allow him to do so. He got back onto the ground floor of the house but he couldn't see Potter anywhere. Voldemort looked at another deatheater, a lower level than the three he left in the basement, and spoke. 

"Did you see Potter pass by?"

"No, my Lord."

"Then where did he go?" Voldemort demanded. 

"He c-c-ame up from the basement m-my Lord and th-then he just disappeared. Like he evaporated into the air, m-my Lord." The servant stuttered terrified of the Dark Lord demanding something of him. He didn't even demand something terrible. Pathetic. 

There was a bright light and it looked like energy was pulling air and substances back together into one piece. The light faded quickly to show Harry standing back in the kitchen. 

"Sorry, I don't quite have control of the whole ghost jig yet." Harry looked forlorn. Even though he got these cool powers he paid a price for them. More like he got his money stolen from him and the product forced upon him by an over zealous salesman. 

"No harm Potter." Voldemort paused "would you like to come with me and the rest of my deatheaters and stay at my manor in little Hangleton?"

"Why would I take up that offer? You've tried to kill me for the past sixteen years of my life. So what you weren't the one to kill me. You still made me an orphan, you still killed my parents, you still made my life miserable, you were the one to lead me into a trap that got my godfather killed, your minion is the one who killed my godfather, one of your other minions is the one who betrayed my parents, that same minion caused my godfather to spend twelve years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Your the reason the media is so fickle about me. What reason would I have to spend the rest of, or at least part of, my ghost eternity with you and your minions?" Harry was livid by the time his rant was over, he had dragged his horrid past sixteen years of life back up after all. 

Voldemort looked like he almost didn't know how to respond. Almost being the operative word. He had after all anticipated that his longtime enemy wouldn't react very well to the offer. For good reasons. But he wasn't the most charismatic Dark Lord in history for nothing. 

"I understand that you have valid reason to hate me for the rest of enternity, to haunt me and to curse me. But think about it. I have at least seventy years of experience with dark curses and magic. You don't think that I wouldn't have come across something of ghost nature in that entire time. That I couldn't find at least one book or resource that could explain all that is happening to you. You could learn to deal with what you are now. You could learn to be the best at being a ghost or a poltergeist or whatever it is that you want to be in this new life for you. Think about the opportunities. You wouldn't have to be just another ghost dwelling on all the things you are missing just wandering about. And besides the whole minions for the rest of your life thing, I don't let many servants who aren't my inner circle inside my manor for a lengthy amount of time anyway. I don't like pests." Voldemort hoped that this would sway Potter, while he couldn't feel guilty about what he had done to Potter he could try to improve his actions towards the boy. Just think of all that untapped potential. 

Harry was pretty convinced. But he still wasn't sure. This was the man who murdered his parents. Although he didn't kill them in cold blood. There was a prophecy that clearly stated that a child would be born that could vanquish the dark lord. And Voldemort did give his mother three chances to step out of the way. Harry wasn't so sure that if he was in Voldemort's place that he wouldn't do the exact same thing. 

"Who is in your inner circle?"

"Why do you want to know who is in my inner circle?"

"You said that the only minions or servants or deatheaters, or whatever the hell you want to call them, that stay in you manor for any lengthy amount of time is your inner circle. You, I could probably deal with on a daily basis. I could get you back for all of the years of pain that you gave me. However, I don't think that I could deal with sniveling cowards bowing down to you and licking your boots for any amout of time at all. I feel that as your inner circle they should have some shred of dignity and respect and have the decency to not drool and scrape their knees in fear of your wrath. So who is in your inner circle?"

"My inner circle consists of Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy, Rabastan and Rudolphus Lestrange, Barty Crouch Jr., Antonin Dolohov, Yaxley, and Augustus Rookwood." Voldemort divulged. 

"What about Pettigrew? He has the mark. Only your inner circle has the mark right? So why didn't you list Pettigrew?"

Voldemort chuckled. "That rat has no hope of getting the honor that is the title of being my inner circle. He is nothing but a convenient servant and if needed a disposable spy." Voldemort paused. "Now I need your answer. Will you come with me and stay in my manor?"

Harry paused and contemplated the decision for a few minutes. He took a breath and gave his answer. 

"Yes" Harry looked at Voldemort. "I'll come."


	4. Fading into New Life Phases

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whoah this one was a long trip. Thank you all for your support especially BeastOfTheSea, Tlyna, and Irissiell. Your comments have inspired me and assured me that this story is good and unique. Thanks!!!

•••••••••••••Previously••••••••••••••  
Will you come with me and stay in my manor?"

Harry paused and contemplated the decision for a few minutes. He took a breath and gave his answer. 

"Yes" Harry looked at Voldemort. "I'll come."  
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••  
Voldemort was surprised. However, he did not let it show on his face. He hadn't expected Potter to accept his offer. He was truthfully very glad that Harry had accepted. Not only could he learn more about ghosts than any other witch or wizard, but he could hopefully gain the young man's trust. Potter was after all a very powerful wizard, especially at the age he was before he died. Who knew maybe the boy would keep his magic or it would filter into a different talent. Voldemort learned long ago that nothing was normal about the sixteen year old. 

He looked at the boy. Harry was waiting for some sort of response from Voldemort. 

"Deatheaters, you are done here. You may leave and return to your families. Lucius and Snape, you will go to each of your family libraries and you will gather any and all books on spirits and you will deliver them to my house elves so that they may be available to Mr. Potter's use on his journey to understand how to....be."  
The deatheaters all nodded to Voldemort and went about to do as they were bid. Voldemort then turned to Harry and in a show of uncharacteristic kindness he asked "is there anything that you possessed before you-"

"-Bit it? Kicked the bucket? Crossed the great divide? Made my exit?" Was all said sarcastically. Harry then closed his eyes and said in a more resigned voice "Before I was murdered?"

Voldemort cleared his throat awkwardly "....yes. Was there anything you want to keep in my manor so that it's close to you?" Voldemort didn't know why he was asking, all he knew is that he felt much more sane than he did before Potters death. 

Harry looked at him for a moment. Almost questioning whether or not he heard it right. He wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. 

"Yeah, there are only a few thing I want from here. The rest the Dursleys can keep. I don't care if they burn my shit, they'll probably dance around it singing kumbaya."

"Where are they?"

"They're up in my. . . room. They're hidden under a loose floorboard."

Voldemort turned and walked to the front of the house and stopped at the base of the stairs. Harry followed him and then led Voldemort up the stairs and stopped in front of a door with no less than six locks. 

Voldemort looked over at Harry but quickly looked away. The Dark Lord knew Harry was treated horribly, his murder was evidence enough. But to have locks on the outside of the door was cruel, they treated the boy like an animal. To abuse a magical child was the worst crime you could commit. They were sacred, many families couldn't have more than two children if that. The Weasleys were a flaw in the otherwise static pattern. Harry interrupted Voldemort's internal rant. 

"Can you open the door? I can't my hand just... goes through it."

"Of course, right." Voldemort was even more disgusted by the inside of the room. It was covered floor to ceiling with old broken toys that he knew didn't ever belong to Harry. He walked to the bed and only saw a tattered sheet and a thin pillow. He walked over a floorboard that creaked and knelt to pull up the board. His hand reached in and grabbed a small leather sack and brought it out of the crevice. He looked at harry who nodded and the left the room, neither wanted to stay in that room longer than necessary. They went downstairs and Voldemort opened the door, used to the fact that harry couldn't. He kept walking trusting that Harry was behind him. He got to the drive way and turned around to speak to Harry, but he wasn't there. 

Harry was stuck in the door way of the house. His face was confused and scared. Voldemort walked back to the door. 

"Are you second guessing your decision to come to my manor?"

"No. I can't move past the doorway. I don't know what happened I got to the door and suddenly I got this tingling feeling and it felt wrong to leave. I can't leave. Why can't I leave?" Harry was becoming a little hysteric. Voldemort was confused. It seemed like Potter would begin learning about spirits earlier than he had planned. 

"Calm yourself Potter. I have books on this, however when are your.... relatives...scheduled to get back? I can not visit you if your relatives are in residence." 

"They come back three weeks into September so we have a while." 

Voldemort nodded. "I will be back in five minutes Potter. I will bring the books necessary for your to learn how to leave your home."

Harry nodded and watched as Voldemort disappeared. As the minutes ticked by he could only hope that Voldemort would bring back something that could help him. He heard a crack and Voldemort reappeared with only one book in his hand. 

"Come inside I will hold the book and read with you as you can not hold the book on your own." Voldemort said. 

The two went into the house and started to read. Twenty minutes and they really hadn't found anything of major importance. They had, however, come across the many different types of spirits and how they differ. 

****************************

1\. Apparition: a ghostly figure, or a sight that is unexpected or unusual. Not an actual spirit but a mere echo left behind for loved ones to see when they feel guilt relating to the apparition's demise.  
2\. Bogey (or bogie or bogy): synonymous with phantom and spirit, but also something that prompts fear or dread; by extension, muggles identify it as an unidentified aircraft, especially an enemy warplane (also the source of the term bogeyman — often spelled boogeyman — referring to a monster whose name is invoked by parents or other adults to frighten children into obedience  
3\. Banshee: a female spirit whose appearance or wailing cry presages death  
4\. Familiar (or familiar spirit): a spirit that takes animal form and protects or serves a person, especially a witch  
5\. Haunt (or hant): synonymous with a ghost who frequented a location, or, visited or reappeared or recurred frequently, or to trouble, or to inhabit or visit the same place or relative location of its demise.  
6\. Phantasm (or fantasm): synonymous with specter; also, an illusion or product of the imagination, or a mental image of a physical object  
7\. Phantom: a ghost that is elusive or that has no physical form, including a representation, or something that evokes dread. It gains a possessive obsession over a living physical person who looks like their representation of their true love  
8\. Poltergeist: a noisy, mischievous ghost  
9\. Shade: a spirit with no morals left. It's a dark shape of the person with little to no details and causes chaos and danger and harm to people who wronged the original soul.  
10\. Specter (or spectre): a visible ghost; also shows some threat or imminent disturbance, such as the threat of famine or war  
11\. Spirit: a ghost that may or may not be visible, or a being capable of possessing a person; also, an animating force, a supernatural being, or a characteristic quality or temper  
12\. Vision: a supernatural appearance, not necessary of a lifelike figure, that reveals something to the viewer  
13\. Visitant: a visitor from a spirit realm  
14\. Wraith: has the sense of a representation of a living person that appears to another just before that person’s death; refers to a remnant, either of a person or a thing

****************************

As far as Voldemort and Harry could tell, Harry Potter did not yet resemble any spirit completely. The more time spent around the spirit and being the spirit the closer they would get to finding out what he was exactly. 

Harry was close to giving up until he came across a very small passage that gave him hope. 

****************************

Spirits are always spawned or created in the imminent area around their scene of death. If the spirit cannot consciously remember how their demise came about their subconscious will proceed to leave them signs. i.e.,Living conditions could change, pipes could be backed up, objects could rattle.  
  
One large obstacle that nearly all spirits face is the event of leaving their scene of death. Their are a few step to successfully leave.  
1\. The spirit must come to terms with their death. If it was accidental and they blame no one a red door will appear and leaving no longer matters. See red door in index.  
2\. If the death was a murder the spirit must come to terms with and accept the fact that a specific person murdered them and accept who it was.  
3\. The spirit must give up all worldly possessions or find a way to have them gathered and brought along.  
4\. The spirit must fade out of the house and into the desired location. Fading is the act of pulling energy together and controlling where it will settle. As spirits are pure energy this will cause their movement. Accidental fading is common with new spirits and can be controlled as soon as they learn what they are doing.

****************************

Harry was ecstatic. He found a way to leave. Now all he had to do was practice. 

"Try to stand on one end of the room and get to the other. After that we will increase the difficulty." Voldemort instructed. 

Harry did precisely that. As they progressively got farther distances and Harry was gaining confidence Voldemort brought up and issue that had been bugging him. 

"Why has Dumbledore not come for you? Aren't you his golden apprentice?"

Harry snorted. "If I'm his apprentice I don't want to know how he treats his house elves. The press misses a lot between Dumbledore and I. I don't think I have fully trusted the man ever since I begged to stay somewhere else for the summer because I was being mistreated. He always brushed me off. He always tried to set me up. Seriously who protects a stone with defenses first years can get past? What headmaster that has had the spot for almost seventy years can't link the only chamber of secrets death to moaning Myrtle? What Wizengamot head and my parents secret keeper can't prove my godfather's innocence? And again the headmaster has had the headmaster spot for almost seventy years, how can he not feel an unregistered portkey being created and placed inside the castle wards? I don't trust Dumbledore. I don't know if I ever have."

Voldemort was silent. The boy made excellent points. The Dumbledore matter aside it was time to try and leave. 

"Are you ready Potter?"

"As I'll ever be."

"Good not picture the front of your house. Imagine being there. Want to be there. Need to be there."

It wasn't hard to imagine the house's front yard. He spent hours every summer working in it. He closed his eyes concentrated and then slowly opened them. He let out a laugh. He did it. Harry Potter the ghost was standing on the driveway.


	5. Moving On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the support! The fact that I reached over 1000 hits on this is amazing and that this story is close to reaching 100 kudos just takes my breath away. Thank you so much for all who follow this story closely and make sure to check out my other story Little Red. It's a really cool story and I hope you enjoy it too if you decide to check it out. :)

•••••••••••Previously••••••••••••••••  
It wasn't hard to imagine the house's front yard. He spent hours every summer working in it. He closed his eyes concentrated and then slowly opened them. He let out a laugh. He did it. Harry Potter the ghost was standing on the driveway.  
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••  
Voldemort walked out of the house and stood on the lawn watching Harry rejoice. He just watched for a moment, and he realized that he had never seen the boy smile before. Granted he was always trying to kill Potter so the boy wouldn't smile if he were sane anyway. Oh well. Voldemort walked up to Harry. 

"Are you done Potter?"

Harry looked at Voldemort and cleared his throat. "Yeah, what happens now?"

"Now you go to my manor. You can learn more about what you are and how to get along with your new existence. I have many more books than the one I brought you today and the Malfoy and Prince libraries should have a fair few as well."

Harry nodded. "How do I get there? I don't know what your manor looks like and you can't touch me to side apparate with me."

Voldemort looked at the boy. He was right. Then he gained a thoughtful look and placed his wand to his temple. He withdrew a silvery ribbon and waved his wand again. A small fog expanded from the ribbon and took shape of a picture. Harry guessed it was the manor belonging to the Dark Lord. 

"There now you know what it looks like and you can fade there. It will be interesting to see if you can get through the wards. I don't see any reason why they would stop you but it will still be interesting." Voldemort mused. 

"I'll meet you there? You or me first?"

"You can go first. I have to make sure you don't run off now don't I."

Harry nodded then screwed up his eyes in concentration, slowly he disappeared. Voldemort looked around the street one more time and then he to disappeared. 

Voldemort reappeared in front of his manor and saw Harry looking up at the large home. Harry sensed Voldemort behind him and spoke without turning. 

"Except for Hogwarts I never really encountered or experienced luxury. I spent the majority of my first eleven years under the stairs in a cramped cupboard."

Voldemort kept silent. What was he supposed to say "oh I'm sorry Harry that you've been raised in a cupboard and it's pretty much all my fault but yeah totally feel how you feel" Harry turned to Voldemort ready to be led inside. 

Voldemort started to walk to the manor Harry following. They walked through the front door and stopped in the foyer. They just stared at each other for a moment. There was an awkward moment between the two. They finally realized that what they were doing was absurd. How were they supposed to get along long enough for Voldemort to teach Harry how to be a spirit. Voldemort cleared his throat. 

"The library is in the west wing and my office is in the east. You can go to the library now if you want to start learning. I'll be in my office." Harry nodded and then turned to go to the library. He was eager to start learning all about how he will be able to exist. 

They parted. Harry to the library and Voldemort to his office. Dark Lords do have paper work to do. 

~~~with Harry~~~  
Harry walked through the doors of the library and paused. It was massive. There were floor to ceiling shelves filled to the brim. Harry walked around for a while to see if he could figure out if the library had a sorting system. He didn't touch any books. Just focused on finding a sorting system. After a few minutes he figured it out. The room was split in half, half was human/wizard base books and the other was creature based books. Those two were split again into light and dark nature so that that library was split into four sections. Harry walked towards the creature section and started to look at the rows. He found a selection that held a couple books on spirits. He reached up to take some off, and his hand went through the spine. 

Harry's let his arm fall. He couldn't touch the books. He couldn't carry the books. He couldn't read the books. Now Harry was never a very avid reader but he did like to learn things. He always was very studious when he was younger until the Dursleys told him that under no circumstances was he to do better than their precious Duddykins. 

Wind started to whip around Harry. How was Harry supposed to be able to live any sort of undead life if he couldn't even touch things. Sure he could scare people but that's only if he learned how to do that and the only way to do that would be to read books on spirits. The shelves started to shake and howling started as if past spirits were at one with Harry's grief and anger. 

~~~with Voldemort~~~  
He watched as Harry tuned and walked down the hallway to the library. Voldemort turned and walked down the opposite hallway to his office. He was going through papers and reading all of the reports that his death eaters had gave him the past week. He had to make sure all of his orders were being carried out. He was halfway through them when he he reached for his water glass and he saw ripples in the water. He had no idea what had caused it. 

Voldemort tried to think of anything that could have caused a disturbance to the point of vibrations there was no one else in his manor except for himself and Harry-

Voldemort quickly rose and made his way to the library. He rushed through the doors and he saw shelves vibrating and made his way over to Harry. He made his way through the small tornado and tried to speak to Harry and calm him. 

After a few minutes Harry calmed and spoke of why he was so distressed. 

"I can't touch them. If I can't touch the books how can I possibly be able to do anything or be even slightly happy with my existence?"

Voldemort paused and looked at Harry  
"I will try to help you touch items if that will make you refrain from destroying my library."

\--Two Days Later--  
The pair of them had been working towards getting Harry to touch objects. They had found out that emotions made it easier to touch things. Now this was used as a crutch at the moment but it could be dropped. 

"Vernon, Harry. Think of your uncle how helpless you were and how he showed you now mercy. Think of Dumbledore and how he left you there Harry."

Harry concentrated and fueled his rage he pointed his finger and hoped. He jabbed his hand forward and the orange sitting on the table was pushed off and rolled onto the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry but my family is having a hard time. My grandparents are going to die soon so we are traveling to see them. This will be on hiatus for a little while but not completely. I will update when I can it will just be slow. I'm sorry. I will finish this story. I promise. Thank you all!


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